Joint police and military forces arrested the number one wanted
commander of the New People’s Army (NPA) in Carmen town in Agusan del Norte on
Sunday.

Ranking NPA leader Joaquin Madrinian, also known by his aliases Alto and Jun-jun, who is facing a string of criminal and rebellion cases in local courts, was captured by police and military troops in Tagcatong village in Carmen town around 4:30 a.m. on Sunday (Dec.30), Lt. Col. Francisco Molina, Jr., commander of the 23rd Infantry Battalion said in a statement.

Seized from Madrinian were a caliber .45 pistol with a magazine and 22 bullets, a hand grenade, and a sling bag.

Madrinian is allegedly the commander of the Special Partisan Unit (Sparu) and intelligence officer of the Sub-Regional Committee WANAS under the North Central Mindanao Regional Committee. Madrinian was also listed as the second most wanted criminal in Agusan del Norte, Molina said.

The alleged NPA leader is being linked to a number of successful attacks on policemen and allegedly responsible for crimes that included killings of tribal leaders in Agusan del Norte and Agusan del Sur provinces. By CLC Photo courtesy of Army Diamond Division Public Affairs Office

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